Freight-car



(No Model.)

J. M. GARVBRIOK.

FREIGHT GAR.

No. 317,111. Patented May 5, 1885.

' R m m g IIIIL! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. GARVERICK, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FREIGHT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,111, dated May 5,1885,

Application filed March 17, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

For showing to what my invention relates,

I will explain that certain defects exist in the present way ofconstructing freightcars, which my invention is designed to overcome. Inopen-top freight-cars such as are used for transporting coal, thestakes, supported in pockets below on outer side of sills, areinsufficient to prevent the sides of bed from spreading at top, orbulging out when the bed is laden with coal and train is suddenlystopped, unless such tendency is counteracted by cross braces or chains.The objections to such means are that the interior of bed is obstructedthereby, and the car cannot be conveniently used for other purposes thanto transport coal; that such cross-braces hinder the train-hands whenrequired to pass through empty cars, and that they are, liable to bebroken in lading, as by coal from chutes or by dumping heavy articlesinto them from elevated platforms. It is therefore necessary to have theinterior of such freight-car beds free of such obstructing cross braces,rods, or chains.

The object of my invention is, mainly, to provide the side walls offreight-cars with longitudinal truss-rods to counteract the lateralstrain which tends to bulge out the sides of the beds at their middle,the same being arranged to be out of the way of the contents of car, andno impediment to passing trains, as the otherwise unprotected stakessometimes are.

The peculiar features and method of applying my truss-rods will behereinafter explained, and specifically shown by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made in the furtherdescription of my invention, similar reference-letters denote similarparts throughout.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an open-top freight-car with myinvention apas shown, or in an equivalent manner.

Inthe description, letters R R lit R denote the planks in side ofcar-bed, supported at their ends by the overlapping corner-bands s 8 sjoining them together, and to the end planks of car-bed in the usualmanner. Letters a a a denote the stakes exterior to said planks ofcar-bed, which are supported in the pockets a The four stakes a in themiddle of car-bed side are spaced closer together than the paired endstakes, a a for the more convenient application and correct action of mylongitudinal truss-rod A, applied to brace against the middle stakesexteriorly, and to pass through the wall of the bed at the points wherestakes a cross the joint of plank R with plank R, and thence diagonallythrough the corner inside, and through the corner-bands s a little wayfrom the corner of bed. The ends of truss-rods are secured by nuts D ontheir threaded parts exterior to said bands, The rod A is simply roundiron of about seveneighths diameter. The middle stakes a are providedwith the notched seat-pieces B applied thereto, and adapted to supportsaid rod A in manner to have bearing thereon to maintain the bedstraight at middle without denting the wood-work.

. The ends of bed are kept from staying in, not only bysaid corner-bandss, but also by the added corner-braces K, which parts are appliedoutside and inside of the wood-work or bed-planks, having holesoppositely registering with each other, through which screwbolts withnuts or rivets secure them together,

in manner to constitute strong anchorages for the ends of the said rodsA, one on each side of bed. Said corner-braces, in form as shown in Fig.4, have the bases K and K re-enforced by the filling K, whose edgeconforms to the line of traction of said rod A and comes flush ICO withthe edge of the hole where rod A passes through the base K, that thebrace may be strong at the point of purchase thereon. On the outer sideof the base K is formed the transverse ledge K adapted when fitted welln to square shoulders in the planks R R, to

maintain the corner-brace at its place of duty by the strength of endwood at said shoulders. The truss-rod A is therefore inserted betweensaid planks R B, not only because this may be readily effected, but alsothat said cornerbraces may have the benefit of purchase by said ledges Kon both the planks united by said corner-irons.

I am aware that truss-rods have before been used, as at A, to remedy thesag in the vertical direction; but I am not aware that a lateral throughtruss-rod was ever applied eX- terior to the bed-stakes at their middleportion and extended through the corners of the bed at its ends, northat its ends were screwthreaded and provided with nuts adapted to takeup the slack of truss-rod, owing to wear of parts assembled thereby, forkeeping the sides of an ordinary ear-bed straight and rigid.

I claim 1. In a railway-car, a set of longitudinal truss-rods, eachsimilarly extended at the middle and along the outside of bed over seatstherefor, and having its ends diagonally extended through the bed andsecured through corner irons on the bed by fastenings anchoring the endsof the rod exterior to ends of the car-bed, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. In a railway-car, the combination of the longitudinal truss-rods, A,stakes a, provided with seats 13, having the middle of said rods appliedthereto, stakes a sufficiently distanced from the stakes a for admittingthe limbs of said rods between them and between the planks R R in directdiagonal lines, and the corner-irons K s, firmly attached to the bed,and having the ends of said rods secured through them, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

8. A railway-car provided with truss-rods A, strung over rests B on theoutside, and secured at their ends diagonally through the corners of thecar-bed, and provided with the corner-bands 8, used as washers for thenuts D on said rods, in combination with the re-enforcing corner-bracesK, provided with abutting ledges K", and cooperating with said bands,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN M. GARVERIGK.

Witnesses:

D. O. IlIAURER, THEoPHrLUs WVEAVER.

